Electrical connector



Oct. 7, 1958 A. T. FLOWER 2, ,5

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 2. 1954 IINVENTOR flrclz zibald Z i'lower ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ArchibaldThomas Flower, Glenside, Pa.

Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,560

Claims- (Cl. 339-14) This invention relates to an electrical connectorand 7 is wrapped around the locking bar, at a point intermediate itsends so that when the locking bar is positioned on the cable 6, aportion of the braided wire 7 will be disposed between the locking barand cable 6. With the locking bar in position, one end of the coilspring 8 is threaded through an opening 12 at one more particularly toan expansible and contractible conlength of wire 13 through the coils atthe end and one nector.

It is an object of the invention to provide an elastic connector forelectric conductors subject to expansion and contraction which willestablish 'a' firm electrical connection and yet is yieldable uponexpansion and contraction of the conductors.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an elastic memberadapted to be spirally wound about electric conductors to be joined andsecured under tension to allow for the expansion and contraction of theconductors without breaking the connection.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a lockingmember for holding the elastic member under tension at all times.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device of theabove-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction,reliable and efiicient in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the connector,

Fig. 1a is a side elevational view of another form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 2a is a top plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. la,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a slightly modified form of theconnector, and,

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration, thepreferred examples of the invention are shown, the numeral 5 denotesgenerally the connector which is applied to a ground connection betweena lead sheathed cable 6 and a flat braided ground wire 7. While theconnector is shown applied to a ground connection it is apparent it maybe employed as a connector for various types of electrical conductorconnections, such as connecting distribution lines to a main conductorline.

The connector comprises a coil spring 8 and locking bar 9. The lockingbar consists of an elongated metal strip 10 transversely curved toconform to the curvature of the conductor or cable 6 and bent upwardlyfrom one longitudinal edge of the strip is a flange or rib 11 having aseries of openings 12 arranged at spaced intervals. The locking bar 9 isdisposed longitudinally of the cable 6 with the curved portion 10 incontact with the lead sheathing of the cable. The braided wire end ofthe bar until several of the coils of the spring have passed through theopening to secure one end of the spring to the locking bar. With one endof the spring attached to the locking bar, the coil spring, While undertension, is spirally wound around the cable and locking bar and whereverthe spring crosses over the upper edge of the flange 11, the flange willinterfit between the coils of the spring thereby holding the springfully tensioned. The free end of the wound spring is fixedly attached tothe flange of the locking bar by passing a of the openings 12 in theflange and twisting the ends of the wire together, as at 14.

The coil spring 8 may be used without the locking bar 9, as shown inFigs. 1a and 2a, by looping the braided wire 7 around the spring as at15, and then winding the spring spirally about the cable 6 and braidedwire, with the ends of the spring engaged with one of the spring coils,as at 16, to secure the spring under tension.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a slightly modified form of locking bar 9 is shownwherein the flange 11 at one end adjacent its upper edge is providedwith a longitudinal slot 17 to receive the free end of the coil springwhich is securely held in the slot by bending the end of the fiangeabovethe slot downwardly to close the slot and clinch the wire or as shown inFig. 7 the portion of the flange above the slot may be bent at rightangles, as at 18. In this form of the invention the braided wire 7 isshown wrapped around the cable 6 with the locking bar 7 disposed on topof the braided wire and held thereon by the spirally wound coil spring8.

In use, the spirally wound spring 8, under tension, establishes a firmelectrical connection between the conductors and yet allows theconductors to expand and contract without breaking the connection, thusinsuring a positive electrical contact between the conductors at alltimes. When the locking bar 9 is employed with the spirally woundspring, each convolution of the wound spring has interfitting connectionwith the locking bar thus holding the spring under tension at spacedintervals throughout its length insuring a more constant tension on theconnection.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown anddescribed are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and changesin the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposedlongitudinally of the conductor, said bar having an upstanding flangeprovided with openings at spaced intervals, and a coil spring having oneend threaded in an opening of the flange of said bar, said spring beingspirally Wound about said conductor and bar in a series of turns eachturn of the spring having convolutions straddling the flange of saidbar.

2. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar transverselycurved and disposed longitudinally of the conductor, said bar having aflange bent upwardly from its longitudinal edge and provided with spacedopenings throughout its length, and a coil spring spirally wound undertension about said conductor and bar in a series of turns, one end ofsaid spring being threaded in an opening in the flange of said bar andthe other end of said spring being attached to another opening in theflange of said bar, each turn of said spring having convolutionsstraddling the flange of said bar to hold the spring under tension. a a

3. An electrical connector comprising a bar disposed longitudinally of aconductor, said bar having an upstanding flange provided with an openingadjacent one end and a longitudinal slot at the opposite end and a coilspring spirally wound about said conductor and said bar in a series ofturns with each turn having convolutions straddling the flange of saidbar with some of the coils having interfitting engagement with theflange of said bar, one end of said spring being threaded in the openingin the flange of said bar and the opposite end of said spring beingdisposed in the slot in the flange of said bar, the end of said flangeabove the slot being bent at right angles against the coils of saidspring to hold the spring in the slot.

4. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposedlongitudinally of the conductor and transversely curved to conform tothe contour of the conductor, said bar having an upstanding flange alongone Y 4 longitudinal edge, and a coil spring having one end attached toone end of the flange and spirally wound about the conductor and saidbar in a series of turns with each turn having convolutions straddlingthe flange of said bar, the other end of said spring being attached tothe other end of said flange.

5. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposedlongitudinally of the conductor, and a coil spring spirally Wound undertension about said conductor and bar in a series of turns, said barhaving an upstanding flange engaging each turn of said spring betweenconvolutions thereof to hold the spring under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,508,456 Lenz Sept. 16, 1924 2,265,006 Rubel et al. Dec. 2, 19412,296,346 Hearn Sept, 22, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,377 Great BritainApr. 24, 1924 291,190 Great Britain May 31, 1928

